[KeN VeRsUs RyU]

So my gf's 2004 civic is making a "wob wob wob wob wob" noise on the LF of her car. Kind of like helicopter rotors(don't you love my descriptions). Very faintly from 25 mph and the faster you go the more apparent it becomes. The noise actually gets faster and louder the faster you go. No car shaking, no steering wheel shake, no braking shake. I'm sure it's not the alignment, tires or a wheel balance because they were done already and the noise still exists.

I've researched online on what the culprit could be and I'm more than certain it is the wheel bearing but i'm not 100 percent sure.

My question is, what does a bad wheel bearing sound like? I haven't jacked the car up yet and try to manhandle the tire in question, so that will be the next on my to do list. But i have tried to wiggle it with the car on the ground and it doesn't wiggle at all.

My other question is... since most bearing installs involve a press and i've never had anything pressed on my car... how much do shops usually charge? On 2004 civics is there a way to remove and install without a press?

I guess i'll rotate the tire and make sure it's not the tire, jack the car and try to run it aroun 25 mph to see if the wheel is shaking and whatever other tests i can think of.

Thanks in advanced.

P.s. If you're going to link some youtube links... i've already looked at those d=P

[Clix]

My question is, what does a bad wheel bearing sound like? I haven't jacked the car up yet and try to manhandle the tire in question, so that will be the next on my to do list. But i have tried to wiggle it with the car on the ground and it doesn't wiggle at all.

When you're checking a bad wheel bearing, you're suppose to jiggle the wheel in the air. Not on the ground.


It sounds more like a bald spot to me.

[tungywungy]

Yeah check it off the ground and wiggle it from top to bottom (12/6 or 11/5 o clock); there will be a good amount of play if it's bad. The wheel bearing sounds like wub-wub sound but then again it could just be a bald spot on your tires like clix said, so jack it up and check it. I'm not familiar with civics but I'm pretty sure they come with hub and bearing pressed together like accords. If the bearing is bad.. you could just take out the bearing with the hub and replace both if you rather do that but it's more expensive and plus you have to find it already pressed together online. The machine shop will prob charge 40+ bucks to unpress and press on the new bearing.

I recommend you just take off the knuckle and see if you can remove the bearing/hub assembly from it. Then bring that to the machine shop with the new bearing and have them replace it. And check to see if you need to have the bearing pressed into the knuckle. Then just put everything back the way you took it off.